Fifteen beagles rescued from a Wisconsin dog breeding and research facility are on their way to new lives in New York City. The dogs were flown from Palm Beach International Airport to be matched with loving families. This comes after years of opposition to the facility, which included protests and arrests.

Background on the Facility

Ridglan Farms, the facility where the beagles were housed, has been the subject of controversy due to its treatment of animals. In April, a large group of animal welfare activists stormed the property, prompting police to use tear gas and pepper spray, and resulting in dozens of arrests. Some protesters were also arrested in March after breaking in and taking 30 dogs from the facility.

Big Dog Ranch Rescue in Palm Beach bought roughly 1,500 of the facility’s more than 2,000 beagles in April for an undisclosed price. The rescue recently reached an agreement for the permanent closure of Ridglan Farms and the transfer of its 475 remaining beagles starting this week.

Lauree Simmons, the founder of Big Dog Ranch Rescue, called on protesters to refrain from further demonstrations, stating that the facility has committed to permanently closing its dog breeding, sales, research, and testing operations. Simmons also mentioned that her group is working closely with the Trump administration to stop funding studies that subject dogs to invasive and painful experimentation.

Original reporting: NBC6 Miami — read the source article.